Cash and parcel carrier



(No Model.) Y 4 Sheets'Sheet 2.

E. I. BLOUNT 8: G. A. KIMPTON. CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

No. 361,120. Patented Apr. 12, 1887.

"THTIT I N. FETERS. mwulm m. Wflhingkm- 11 c (No Model.) 4 SheetQ-Sheet 3.

E. I. BLOUNT & G. A. KIMPTON. GASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

'PatentedApr. 12, 1887 N. FEIERS, Pholo-litho npiw, Wash ngton, DJ;

(No Model.) v 4 Sheets- Sheet 4.

E. 1'. B LOUNT & 0. A. KIMPTON. CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER No. 361,120. Patented Apr. 12,1887.

WITNESSES; v INVENTURS rum. 22M j (2 .2. 03M 4W cabxwaJw a 1ra UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE I. BLOUNT, OF CAMBRIDGE, AND CHARLES A. KIMPTON, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 'ASSIGNORS TO THE GILMAN CASH RAIL- W'AY COMPANY, OF SAOO, MAINE.

CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,120, dated April 12, 1887.

Application-filed April 12, 1886. Serial No. 198,588. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EUGENE I. BLOUNT, of Cambridge,in the county of Middlesex, and CHARLES A. KIMPTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, both in the State of Massachusetts, both citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cash and Parcel Transmitting Apparatus for Store- 1 Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents in elevation sections of the tracks which we use, and the carrier, the elevator for placing it on the inward orforwarding track, the re ceptacle or device for receiving the carrier from the outward or return track, and a vertically-movable basket or device which receives the carrier from the receiving receptacle or device, and by which it is lowered to rier to the inward or forwarding rail.

the counter or other place from which the carrler is removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of our improved carrier, taken from one side thereof. Fig. 3 is also a perspective view of the carrier, taken from the side opposite that represented in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the various devices represented in Fig. 1, excepting the tracks or rolls, which are shown in vertical section. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the carrier-receiver and the vertically-movable receivingbasket, the basket being in-a position to receive the carrier from the receiver. Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation representing the carrier-elevator in the act of transferring the car- Fig. 7

is a plan view of the various devices, taken below the line as w of Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a vertical section through the carrier-receiver and receiving-basket at rightangles to that represented in Fig. 5, showing the position of the operating it.

and a rail-section to illustrate the operation of the trippingstop.

The invention comprises the rails AA, one of which, the rail A, is the inward or forwarding rail, and is inclined toward the cashiers desk, or other point of delivery. The other rail, A, is the outward or return rail, which is inclined from the cashiers desk, or other point adjacent to the delivery-point of the inward track, to the point of delivery of the carriers to their respective receivers. Each carrier comprises a truck, B, having two grooved wheels, b b, mounted upon short pivots or axles b" b, extending laterally from the ends of the horizontal pivot or rod If. This pivot or rod If, which forms a part of the truck, also carries an arm or bracket, pinned or otherwise rigidly secured to the rod or pivot I), to swing or move therewith, and which supports or carries a tripping-latch, O, and devices for This latch O is carried at the inward end of the rod 0, which extends horizontally from said bracket b between the two wheels or rolls b b, but somewhat above the line of their centers. The latch has attachedto it, or integral therewith, a sleeve, which surrounds the rod 0, and carries at its 'front 'end a tripping-arm, c,which may be integral with the sleeve and latch O. A coil spring, 0, surrounds the sleeve. The spring has its stationary end held by a rod extending from the bracket b and its operating end secured to the latch O, to bear upon the same and keep it in place or latched. There is also hung or suspended from the rod or pivot bof the truck the cash or parcel holding part of the carrier, which comprises the section D. This section Dhas the arm d upon one side thereof, through the upper part of which the rod or pivot If of the truck extends, and which is free to be turned therein. This arm (1 also carries an antifriction roll, d, having a vertical axis, and adapted to bear against theside of the rail and steady the carrier and truck as they are moving thereon. The section D also has a receptacle, which is cylindrical in form,and has an opening at its lower end closed by the cover (1, which is pivoted to the casing of the receptacle at d to swing downward.

A spring (not shown) maybe used for moving the cover outward or downward from the opening when it is unlatched, if desired. The cover or movable bottom cl is held closed by a spring-latch, d.

The block or arm d has upon its inner edge, near the top, a shoulder or latch block, 0', against which the latch Obears in looking the section D of the carrier rigidly to the truck,and

the upper surface of the part of the block or arm d adjacent to the shoulder 0 is rounded or curved, so that the latch C will ride thereon easily, and will automatically shut behind the shoulder as the truck is moved, to bring the wheels or rolls into vertical position, or, in other words, to lock the section D to the truck.

It is understood, of course, that the carrier is locked to its truck while upon the inward and return rail, and that the carrier is removed from the return-rail at a predetermined point by unlatching or tripping the truck, so that the weight of the carrier or gravity causes the truck to be drawn over from the rail and downward past one side thereof into the receptacle placed to receive it. To effect this tripping of the truck automatically and at a predetermined place, we rely upon the tripping-arm 0, above referred to, and a tripping stop or finger, E, which is pivoted at e to the return-rail, or to a support adjacent thereto. This finger has an extension, 6, in the direction of the return-rail, which extends above it, so that the periphery of the first wheel or roll of a carrier-truck shall come in contact therewith, depress it, and raise or lift the tripping stop or finger E suifieiently to bring it in line with the tripping-arm c, and act as an abutment or stop against which the tripping-arm 0 shall come in contact. The tripping-finger E 'is so hung that it resumes its normal position by gravity, and a stop, 6, holds it in such position. As each return-rail will have from two to four, five, or more stations or points at which carriers will be delivered, it is necessary to use or employ as many carriers as there are delivery points or stations, and also to arrange the tripping stops or fingers E at the various stations or points of delivery and the tripping-arms 0 so that each carrier will stop at a predetermined station and pass over or by the stops or trip ping-fingers adapted to stop or derail the other carriers. This result is obtained by varying the inclination of the tripping-arm c and by varying the position of the stop or trippingfinger E in relation to its extension or end 0. In order that this may be understood, we will describe the operation of these difi'erent devices.

A carrier running from the cashiers desk upon the outward rail to a station strikes with its forward wheel the extensions e of all the tripping-fingers upon the outward rail, but is derailedpnly by the tripping-finger,:which is moved into position to act as an abutment or stop against which its tripping-arm 0 comes in contact. Supposing it to be approaching its proper station, the inward rail or wheel of the carrier throws upward the tripping-finger E, and the tripping-arm 0 immediately comes in contact with it, and is held thereby sufficiently long to cause the tripping-latch C to be raised and the truck to turn sidewise from the rail. The next carrier in order, or the one for the next station beyond 011 the line, in order not to be derailed at this point, will have the inclination of its tripping-arm a so changed,and the distance between the tripping-finger,E and the operating-extension a so varied, that the tripping-arm will have passed over the tripping-finger before the wheel or roll comes in contact therewith and lifts it, so that although lifted it cannot act as a stop or abutment for the purpose of derailing the truck; and we have represented in Fig. 9, in elevation, at construction of trippingfinger and tripping lever or arm which will operate to derail a truck, and also in Fig. 11 another carrier having a tripping lever or arm slightly changed in inclination, and also a tripping finger or stop adapted to derail the second carrier, the arm or lever of the second carrier being so shaped, however, as to pass over the first tripping finger or stop of the said figure. (See Fig. 10.)

We have shown as a receiving device or receptacle for receiving the carriers as their trucks are derailed at their respective stations a casing, F, arranged below the return'rail, open at the topf, and having an extension, f, which is provided with an inclined side, f", The main part of the opening is upon one side of the return-rail, as represented in Fig. 7. The receivingreceptacle also has a hinged bottom plate, f, which is hinged to the casing F at]", and is held in place to close the receiver when it is empty or not receiving a carrier by means of the latches F F, which are automatically unlatched by the receiving-basket upon its upward movement, as hereinafter specified, to release the bottom plate and allow it to move downward and deposit the carrier in the basket. The hinged bottom plate is returned to its horizontal position after the basket has been lowered therefrom by means of the weightf carried by a lever pivoted atf, and connected with the bottom plate by a link, f The basket G is arranged to take or receive the carrier from the receiver. It has an opening at its top somewhat larger than the lower opening, f", of the receiver, and it is moved up ward to a position under the receiver by means of the cords g, which take hold of or are fastened to each end of the basket run over their respective pulleys g g 9, attached to the receiver-casing F, pulleys 9, carried by a plate attached to a suitable standard or support, and a weight,

The hinged bottom plate, f of the receiver ICO is automatically unlatohed upon the upward movement of the basket by the contact of the edge of the basket with the arm f of the latch Fand the armf of the latch F The latch F is pivoted at f and is adapted to engage and hold the lever of the weight The elevator H is also used for lifting the carrier to the inward or'forwarding'track and for placing it thereon. This elevator comprises a frame or car, h, arranged to be moved vertically upon the guiding-rods h, and it carries a section, h", of the inward rail, A, and a pivoted holder, m, which is pivoted at h to the frame h, and which is adapted to receive the section D of the carrier and prevent it from swinging upon the rail while the elevator is being lifted and to steady it while the carrier is being delivered or moved from the elevator to the rail. The-elevator is moved upward by means of a cord, h, which passes over a pulley, h.

In order that the inward or forwarding rail, A, may be unbroken or continuous, except while receiving a carrier at a station, we have provided it with a movable section, a, which is hinged at a, to be moved upward, as hereinafter described, to permit a carrier to belifted or elevated into position and started upon the inward rail. This rail-section a is moved downward,and held down by the spring a The rail-section a is lifted in opposition to the stress of the spring a by the contact of the roll of the carrier as it is lifted in the elevator into position to be delivered to the rail; and, in order that the elevator may be automatically locked or prevented fromfalling after it has been lifted to or nearly to this delivery position, we havearranged a pivoted holder, h,

having an inclined edge or surface, h, and a latch or hook,a so that at the beginning of the upward movement of the rail-section a the lever shall be moved into position to engage vtith one of the ratchet-teeth a on the side of the elevator, and thereby hold it in position until the carrier has left the elevator. rail-section a bears upon the circumference of the roll or wheel ofthe carrier, which lifts it with sufficient force or pressure to start the carrier with some impulse down the inward rail, when the supportingsection h of the rail comes in line with the remainder of the rail and the undersurface of this section is shaped as shown at a, so as to cause the said rail-section, as it is moved down by the spring upon the forward movement of the carrier, to act to give the carriera gradually-acceleratingmovement. There is attached to the rail-section a a lever arranged to closev upon the pin a of the hook or latch a so that upon the return of the rail-section to its normal position the lever comes in contact with the'pin a and moves the hook or latch outward or away from the elevator or car or from engagement with one of the ratchet-teeth a, so that the elevator is'released and may fall from the inward rail.

.It will be seen that the pivoted holder It turns upon the pivot h, as shown in Fig. 6,

The

during the transfer of the carrier from the railsection It to the remainder of theinward rail.

In use the carriers are locked to their trucks, lifted to the inward rail, and impelled thereon by the push-motion or impulse of the springaetuated rail-section a, and upon their return to their respective stations they are derailed by the tripping of the mechanism,which locks the truck to the remainder of the carrier,and fall into the receptacles placed to receive them, and from the receptacles the carriers are transferred or dropped into a basket,by which they are lowered to a place from which they can be removed.

The weight ofthe carrier upon the hinged bottom plate of the receiver is sufficient to overcome the holding-power of the weight, which otherwise holds the bottom plate in place when it is unlatched; but the bottom plate is always latched rigidly in place when the basket is not in a position to receive a carrier or receiver. 7

The pivoted holder h is turned upon the pivot If, as the elevator approaches the track A, by coming in contact with the adjustable stop H on the rod H A spring, H holds the case in normal or horizontal position. It will be seen that the stop tips the case sufficiently to allow the carrier to slide or be moved from the rail-section h". It will be seen that this pivoted holder performs another ofiice, and that is of holding the carrier, if by any accident it should become derailed from the rail-section 71? during the lifting of the elevator. In other words, if it should fall from the section h the pivoted holder It would catch and hold it. Thisis quite an important feature of the holder, for without it the carrier, if it left the elevator, might fall to the counter as it is being lifted and cause damage.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patof the United States- 1. The combination, in an elevator for a cash and parcel carrier system, of the pivoted holder h with the rail-section h, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the elevator having the ratchet-teeth with an automatic latching device for engaging said teeth, or one of them, upon the lifting of the elevator to the inward rail, substantially as described.

7 3. The combination of an elevator,a movable rail-section, and a latch or locking device for locking the elevator, arranged to be brought into action by the movement of the said railsection, and to be released or unlatched upon the transfer of the carrier from the elevator and the return of the said rail-section to its normal position, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the rail-section a, the hook or latch a provided with the pin a, the lever, and the elevator H, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a cash and parcel carrier system, of an elevator having a railsection, 79, with the hinged rail-section a, having its under surface, a, shaped as described, all as and for the purposes Set forth.

6. A carrier having a truck pivoted on one side or to a support or arm extending therefrom, a latching or locking device for locking the truck rigidly to the carrier, and a steadylng anti friction roll, '11, adapted to bear against the side of the rail, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a carrier, its truck, the latch G, the rod 0, the tripping lever or arm 0. and the spring 0, substantially as described.

S. The carrier having a pivoted truck, a holding-latch, C, and a tripping-arm, c, in combination with a rail having the movable tripping-finger E, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a carrier with atripping finger or stop, E, adapted to be moved into position by the contact of the carrier therewith upon its approach thereto or passage by the same, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the rail, the carrier, the tripping-finger E, pivoted at c, and having the extension 0, and stop c substantially as described.

11. The combination of a rail having astop or abutment brought into position by the contact of the carrier therewith with a carrier having a hinged truck and a tripping device or mechanism for unlatehin g the truclgadapted to be operated by said stop or abutment while it is held lifted by the carrier, substantially as described.

12. The track A, a receiver arranged adjacent to the track, having an elongated opening and a bottom eomprisinga plate hinged to the frame of the receiver, atf, to be moved dov:nwardlytherefrom to open the same and deliver the carrier after it has dropped therein from the track, and a weight, f, for closing the bottom plate, in combination with a movable basktt, G, substantially as described,

13. The combination of the receiver, the hinged bottom f", latches F E and the vertically-movable basket G, adapted to engage the latches on it, substantially as described.

14. The combination of the receiver F, the bottom f, hinged at f, a lever bearing the \veightf and the linkf, connecting the end of the lever with the bottom, substantially as described.

15. The elevator having a pivoted holder, h", pivoted as described, in combination with the stop H.

16. The combination of the elevator having the pivoted holder in with the spring II, substantially as described.

EUGENE I. BLOUNT. CHARLES A. KIMPTON.

\Vitncsses:

J. M. DOLAN, Fain). B. DOLAN. 

